Dispenser for staples or the like



Feb. 24, 1948. KlRBY 2,436,577

DISPENSER FOR STAPLES OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 12, 1945 /6 II- I gwue/rvko ALEXANDER J. KIRBY Patented Feb. 24, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTorrlcr."

DISPENSER FOB, STAPLES OR THE LIKE Alexander J. Kirby, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 12, 1945, Serial No.634,455

11 Claims. (Cl. 232-42) This invention relates to dispensers, and more adispenser which may be suspended from the user's clothing. and havingmeans for retaining the articles in the dispenser if the dispenser isinverted or carelessly handled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser wherein thearticles are retained in predetermined arrangement by their own weightand from which the lowermost article may be withdrawn by a singlemovement of the users hand.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a dispenser which shallbe simple in construction and operation and economical to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description, taken in connection with the appendeddrawing. in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a dispenser embodying theinvention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the lower portion thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the upper portion thereof.-

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpo of description and not of limitation.

The dispenser shown in the drawings comprises an inner shell Iii ofU-shape to conform to the shape of the articles to be dispensed, whichare shown in the drawings as being staples I! of the type commonly usedfor securing electrical wiring or the like in place on a wall. The shellill is formed with outturned vertical flanges H.

, Concentric with the shell i0 is an outer shell or casing IB, spacedfrom the shell ill to form therebetween a channel It U-shaped in crosssection. Theshell i6 is provided with outturned vertical flanges whichoverlie the flanges l4 and are secured thereto by means of a back platehaving its edges turned over to -embrace the outer edges of the flangesi4 and 20. The'elements i0, i6 and 22 are preferably formed as steelstampings. Secured to the outer shell is a wire 24, which may besoldered or welded into place, and which is bent to form a hook 26adapted to engage a strap or similar member-28, which may be the user'sbelt.

'The upper end oi. the outer shell J6 terminates below the upper end ofthe inner shell It, to facilitate charging the dispenser with thearticles to be dispensed. Secured to the forward face of the shell ill,by welding or soldering or the like, is a detent 30 the outer edge ofwhich substantially coincides with the forward edge of the outer shell,and is formed with a downwardly extending lip 32 the purpose of which isto retain the upper articles in place and thereby prevent their fallingout of the dispenser when the same is inverted, as will happen throughaccident or when the dispenser is thrown down after use.

At its lower end, the inner shell in is formed with integral outturnedflanges 34 which extend horizontally across the space between the innerand outer shells to form a closure or support for the articles stackedin the dispenser. Extending from the bottom of the shell Ill is anintegral cam 36 having its forward end extending forwardly slightlybeyond the forward surface of the outer shell i6 and upturned so thatwhen the lowermost article is withdrawn from the stack by a horizom talpull, the article will be forced by cam action to move upwardly.Accidental or unintentional displacement of staples from the dispenseris in this manner prevented.

The lower forward portion of the outer shell is cut away as indicated at38, to expose a suflicient area to enable the user to graspethelowermost article between his thumb and forefinger and exert ahorizontal pull thereon for the purpose of withdrawing the same from thedispenser. This movement will preferably be a quick one, so that theinertia of the dispenser will cause it to remain in vertical positionwhile the article is being withdrawn. Forwardly of the opening indicatedat 38 a lip 40 extends downwardly to within a short distance of the cam36, the vertical distance between the two elements being slightlygreater than the vertical dimension of one of the articles to bedispensed. The lip 40, however, terminates at a point inwardly of thecam 36.

As a result of the construction above described, the dispenser may becharged by inserting articles horizontally between the lower end of lip32 and the upper surface of the outer shell it, each article fallinginto place in the stack thus formed in the channel I 8. If the dispenseris then inverted, the uppermost article will be prevented by lip 32 fromfalling out of the dispenser.

In the use of the device, the operator grasps the lowermost articlebetween his thumb and forefinger and jerks or draws it quickly int-hehorizontal direction forwardly of the dispenser. The cam 36 imparts anupward movement to the article as it is being withdrawn, so that itslower forward edge rides upwardly on the cam, while its upper forwardedge clears the lip 40, its position when being withdrawn beingindicated at 42 in Fig. 1. The remainder of the articles in the stackthen drop to contact the flanges 34, while the user has the withdrawnstaple grasped in such position that it is ready to be driven into thewall or other surface where it is to be used.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to aspecific form thereof, it may be embodied in other forms within theskill of artisans in this art, and is therefore not limited to the formdisclosed, nor otherwise except in accordance with the terms of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

. 1. In a dispenser for staples or like articles concentric inner andouter shells spaced from each other to form a channel to receive saidarticles in stacked relation, a closure for the lower end of saidchannel, the outer shell being cut away to permit the lowermost articleto be' grasped and withdrawn, and a cam formed on said closure to forcesaid article to move upwardly while being withdrawn.

2. In a dispenser for U-shaped articles, a vertical guide member, anouter shell spaced from the guide member to form a U-shaped channeltherebetween to receive said articles in stacked relation, a closure forthe lower end of said channel,

the lower portion of the outer shell being cut away to form an openingto permit the lowermost article in the stack to be grasped and withdrawnhorizontally from the stack, and a cam formed on said closure to causesaid article to move up-. wardly while being so withdrawn.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, comprising in addition a tongueextending across a portion of said opening and cooperating with said camto prevent discharge of said articles through said opening by gravity.

4. The invention defined in claim 2, comprising in addition a. detent atthe upper end of said channel positioned to engage and retain theuppermost article in the stack to prevent discharge thereof when thedispenser is inverted.

5. In a dispenser for U-shaped articles, concentric inner and outerguide members spaced from each other to form a vertical U-shaped channelto receive said articles in stacked relation, a closure for the lowerend of said channel, the lower portion of the outer guide member beingcut away to form an opening to permit an article in the stack to begrasped and withdrawn from the stack, and a cam associated with saidclosure to cause said article to move upwardly while being so withdrawn.

6. A dispenser for U-shaped articles comprisin; a vertical guide member,an outer container spaced. from the guide member to form a U-shapedchannel therebetween to receive said articles in stacked relation, aretaining member obstructing the lower end of said channel, the lowerportion of the container being cutaway to form an opening to permit thelowermost article in the'stack to be withdrawn therefrom by a horizontalforce, and a cam associated with said V retaining member and shaped tocause said article to move upwardly while being so withdrawn.

4 7. A dispenser for U-shaped articles comprislng inner andouter guidemembers spaced from each other to form a U-shaped channel to receivesaid articles in stacked relation, a retaining member for the lower endof said channel, the lower forward portion of the outer shell being cutaway to form an opening to permit an article to 8. The invention definedinclaim 7, wherein the outer guide member terminates below the upper endof the inner guide member, and the inner guide member is provided with adetent cooperating with the outer guide member to permit articles to becharged into the channel while preventing their movement out of thedispenser by gravity.

9. In a dispenser, vertical inner and outer guide members spaced fromeach other to form a channel therebetween to receive in stacked relationarticles to be dispensed, retaining means at the lower end of saidchannel, the forward lower portion of the outer guide member being cutaway to partially expose the lowermost articles, a vertically extendinglip projecting from the outer guide member partially across said openingto prevent displacement of the articles from the dispenser by gravity,and a cam member extending forwardly of said opening to impart verticalmovement to an article being withdrawn through said opening.

10. A dispenser for staples or like articles, comprising an innervertical guide member U-shaped in cross section and formed withoutwardly extending vertical flanges, an outer vertical guide memberU-shaped in cross section and spaced from the inner guide member to formtherebetween a vertical U-shaped article-receivingchannel, flangesformed on the outer guide member and engaging said vertical flanges toretain the articles in the channel, the forward lower portion of theouter guide member being formed with an opening to expose the lowermostof said articles, a lip formed on the outer guide member and extendingdownwardly partially across said opening to prevent displacement of saidarticles from the channel by gravity, and a cam member formed on one ofthe guide members and extending forwardly and upwardly from the base ofsaid opening to impart vertical movement to an article being withdrawnthrough said opening.

11. The invention defined in claim 10, wherein the outer guide memberterminates below the upper end of the inner guide member, and the innerguide member is provided adjacent its upper end with a detentcooperating with the outer guide member to permit articles to be chargedinto the channel while preventing their movement out of the dispenser bygravity when the dispenser is inverted.

AIEXANDER J. KIRIBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS

